WASHINGTON — Today, President Barack Obama announced the nomination of Chief Judge Frances M. Tydingco-Gatewood to continue to serve as the Chief Judge of the United States District Court of Guam.

“We applaud the nomination of Chief Judge Tydingco-Gatewood to continue to serve in the U.S. District Court of Guam,” said Jin Y. Hwang, president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). “Chief Judge Tydingo-Gatewood has demonstrated her ability as a fair and adept jurist and leader of the District Court in her almost ten years as Chief Judge, and we strongly encourage the Senate to confirm her to another term.”

In 2006, Chief Judge Tydingco-Gatewood was nominated by President George W. Bush to a 10 year term as Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court of Guam and was confirmed by the Senate that year. She became the first Chamorro woman to serve as the Chief Judge of a U.S. District Court, responsible for the administration of the federal judiciary in the District.

She also sits as the Chief Bankruptcy Judge of the District Court of Guam. Previously, she served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Guam for four years and a judge in the Superior Court of Guam for seven years. She held positions as the chief prosecutor of Guam, an assistant attorney general in Guam, and a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Guam and Kansas City, Missouri. She served as a law clerk for the Honorable Forest W. Hanna, presiding judge of the Jackson County Circuit Courts in Kansas. She is a graduate of Marquette University and the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law.

NAPABA commends President Obama for nominating Chief Judge Frances M. Tydingco-Gatewood to continue to serve and Congresswoman Madeleine Bardallo of Guam for her support of her nomination.

For more information, the media may contact Brett Schuster, NAPABA communications manager, at 202-775-9555 or bschuster@napaba.org.

The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) is the national association of Asian Pacific American attorneys, judges, law professors, and law students. NAPABA represents the interests of over 50,000 attorneys and over 75 national, state, and local bar associations. Its members include solo practitioners, large firm lawyers, corporate counsel, legal services and non-profit attorneys, and lawyers serving at all levels of government. NAPABA engages in legislative and policy advocacy, promotes Asian Pacific American political leadership and political appointments, and builds coalitions within the legal profession and the community at large. NAPABA also serves as a resource for government agencies, members of Congress, and public service organizations about Asian Pacific Americans in the legal profession, civil rights, and diversity in the courts.

NAPABA continues to be a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting Asian Pacific American communities. Through its national network of committees and affiliates, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity of the federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes the professional development of people of color in the legal profession.